The increased access and availability of standardized large-scale networks (such as the Internet and the World Wide Web) allow remotely located users (such as at home users) to play video games in an environment that allows the user to select a wide variety of different types of video games provided by several different network gaming system providers. In this manner, a user is now easily able to play with or compete against other users across the network system.
Sometimes, it is advantageous for providers of multi-player gaming systems on these standardized large-scale networks to include an award scheme or prize system in order to attract users to their particular gaming systems. In a prize system, a provider may offer several differently valued prizes with a variety of awarding and redeeming schemes so that a user has a wide selection of options in obtaining prizes by playing games on the network gaming system.
However, a prize provider faces several difficulties when presenting a prize awarding and redeeming system on the Internet. Maintenance of a prize awarding and redeeming system requires the prize providers to be responsible for maintaining a system for prize tracking and delivery and setting and adjusting of prize credit costs or prices of the prizes as well. The prize provider is also responsible for determining how many prize credits are awarded, on average, by each game of each of the participating game providers and also for determining the price of each prize in terms of prize credits and in view of a desired profitability level.
This problem is compounded when compensation is being calculated in a tournament gaming environment where a plurality of players are playing for a pool of prize credits or prizes. In the prior art, a percentage of an entry fee is commonly collected for compensation purposes.